Many wildland firefighters are severely burned or killed as they are engulfed in rapid flame spread. Rapid flame spread results in the localized depletion of oxygen. The terms “deplete”, “depleted” and “depletion” shall be defined to include “totally or partially deplete”, “totally or partially depleted”, and “total or partial depletion” respectively, as these terms apply to oxygen concentration or content. This can cause the engine of a vehicle in which firefighters or other personnel are traveling to splutter and die as it is engulfed in flame. This leaves the firefighters in a stationary vehicle at the mercy of the flames with no means to revive the engine and escape.
A system is needed for wildland fire vehicles and other emergency vehicles engaged in the fighting of wildland fires or the transport or rescue of personnel, which will enable the operator to rapidly engage an inboard source of oxygen for the engine as the vehicle is engulfed in flames, thereby preventing spluttering and stalling or allowing the immediate restarting of the engine. Such a system would enable the engine to run in the midst of the flame front, thereby allowing the operator to back into the “black zone” (burned area) or maneuver the vehicle out of the flame front, saving the occupants from injury or death.